Sweeping Changes - A Review of Recent Reforms on Protections for Migrant Workers in Asia and the Middle East

This article reviews government responses to a lack of safe migration practices for female migrant workers. The article is written from the perspective of an international human rights activist and is based on six years of research and policy advocacy by Human Rights Watch in Singapore, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Jordan, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Indonesia. In host countries, gaps in labour laws, strict immigration policies, and widespread discrimination against domestic workers contribute to human rights violations. However, growing numbers of workers and an expanding domestic worker's rights movement have drawn attention from media and civil society, which has inspired governmental attempts at reform. This article focuses on recent change in three areas: labour protections, immigration regulations, and civil society mobilization.